


All Dead, All Dead

by Miraakulous_Recovery



Category: Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Genre: Age Difference, Animal Death, Blood and Violence, Casual Sex, Consensual Violence, Depression, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Graphic Description of Corpses, Heavy Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Loss of Virginity, Mentions of past domestic violence, Murder, No Romance, Oral Sex, Past Abuse, References to Depression, Sadism, Scars, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, Sex, Suicide Attempt, Vaginal Sex, mentions of past alcohol abuse, reference to past suicide attempt, slight blood kink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2020-12-09 10:30:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20993336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miraakulous_Recovery/pseuds/Miraakulous_Recovery
Summary: 20 year old Breton, Laelynn Denile, has lost everything - her family, her boyfriend, her friends. When forced to face old trauma and reopen old wounds, she takes drastic measures to escape her pain in the arms of an assassin.





	1. But When The Night Is Falling, You Cannot Find The Light

**Author's Note:**

> TES: Oblivion and everything in this fic - except my own original Breton character - belongs to Bethesda.  
This fic includes some very dark things so if you are upset or disturbed by any of the things tagged, please don't read this. This is my first fanfic so I hope I haven't done too bad a job and I'm still getting used to the site so please excuse the messed up spacing and paragraphs.  
Comments and feedback will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Laelynn tipped her head back, swallowing down the last of the wine. Exhaling deeply, she glanced down at the bottle clutched in her hand, her face contorting into a grimace. With a cry of disgust, she hurled the bottle hard against the wall, where it shattered into pieces. Her father’s face flashed in her mind, his mouth twisted in its usual snarl, his eyes so empty yet so full of hate, so full of resentment. For his own family. In her mind, she could still hear her mother’s whimpers, hear her own cries, hear the loud _smack_ as the belt hit her bare skin. Wincing, she turned to gaze out of the window, comforted by the loud pattering of the rain. Her thoughts drifted to her first boyfriend—and last, she thought bitterly. Though she hadn’t been in love with him exactly, she had certainly cared about him. Her mother never believed in true love; she had always told Laelynn that love was something that grew, like a plant, not something that just blinked into existence. If that was true—and Laelynn believed it was—then maybe eventually she would have grown to love him properly. They could have married, had children, and then, maybe, it would be the kind of relationship she had read about in books. They could have shared long winter nights, swapping kisses and sweet words…They hadn’t even had chance to—

Her chest tightened, the sudden influx of long-dead memories bringing with them a sharp, cutting pain. Blinking back tears, she exhaled deeply, rising to her feet. She had to pull herself together—not much longer to go. They would be here soon. They would find her not asleep, but wide awake and ready. Ready to meet her fate. Ready for the end of everything.

A clicking noise pulled her from her thoughts. Somebody was picking the lock on her door. Laelynn smiled grimly, waiting. She hadn’t even heard them enter the house. The door swung open, and the intruder stepped into the room. Instinctively, Laelynn stepped back to study the man—for though his face was half hidden by a black hood, he was clearly a man—as he turned to face her. Even through the thick fog of her pain, her heart flipped as the man reached up and pulled down his hood, revealing long, beautifully silky hair. He had a handsome face—a very handsome face, if she was honest—covered with a thin layer of stubble and his jawline was to die for. _And those eyes_. A deep, dark brown, almost black in the dull glow of the candles, and filled with something even darker. _Hunter eyes_, she thought, amused. It was hard to put an age to him; there was none of the boyishness that many of her fellow Breton women adored, in him. No, everything about him screamed Dangerous Man. And despite her best efforts to make better, smarter choices in life, _she loved it_. “You must be the assassin, from the Dark Brotherhood.” She was surprised by how calm and collected her voice was. Inside, she felt anxiety beginning to stir as the reality of the situation finally hit her. She was going to die tonight. Was this really what she wanted? Her mind froze for a moment, refusing to acknowledge the small, desperate whine of the part of her brain that was determined to survive. 

The man simply stared at her, his dark eyes hard and calculating. If he was surprised to see her alert and expecting him, he didn’t show it. After a moment, he spoke: “I am. And you are my target. Somebody wants you dead, Laelynn.” He smiled wickedly and, despite her overwhelming attraction to him, it chilled her to the bone. It was a dark and predatory smile. “Another thrall for the Void.”

Inwardly, she groaned. He had a voice that made her want to melt—deep and rough with a deliciously sinister edge. It must have shown on her face because her assassin smirked, almost like he was used to people reacting that way to him speaking. Laelynn mentally slapped herself, trying to ignore the sudden rush of heat, to ignore the swooning of her mind over his beauty and her body’s desperate desire to follow suit. “Yes, I’m aware. Because it was me.”

She felt a small, smug glow of pride when the assassin blinked, confusion flashing across his gorgeous face. A second later, and it had vanished, replaced with a cold curiosity.

“You performed the Black Sacrament for…yourself?”

Laelynn nodded.

“Why would you put a contract out on yourself?”

“Because…” She sat down on the edge of the bed, her teeth worrying her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. _Screw it_, she decided. What was the point in subtleties now? “Because I’m suicidal, okay? I want to die. I’ve had it with life and everything in it.”

The man arched one perfect, black eyebrow. “Then why not just kill yourself? Why pay us to do it? People commit suicide all the time.”

“I’m a coward. I tried, I really did, but I couldn’t do it. I feared the pain, of not doing it properly,” she confessed, glancing down at her scarred wrists. “So, I decided to hire someone else to do it. Which reminds me, I have two requests for you. Obviously, you don’t have to accept them, but I hope that you will. First though, I want to ask you something, just to sate my own curiosity.” She paused. “What is your name, assassin?”

“I am Lucien Lachance.”

Laelynn laughed suddenly, surprising the man—Lucien—who frowned. “The irony. _Light and the luck_? What a name for someone who bumps people off for a living.” She shook her head, her chuckles dying out as her face grew serious. “So, my two requests…” She paused, her tongue running over her bitten lip. “My first request is for a painless death. Like I said, handling pain isn’t one of my many talents so I would appreciate it if you could make it quick for me. I don’t want to be left writhing in pain or anything. I want it to be fast and easy.” To be gone...just like that, was something she didn't voice aloud. 

Lucien nodded once, but stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.

She cleared her throat, shifting from one foot to the other awkwardly, her pale white skin flushing pink. “And secondly…” She swallowed the lump in her throat before blurting out the rest of the sentence before her nerve failed her. “Will you fuck me?”

Her assassin’s dark eyebrows shot up, almost reaching his hairline. “Excuse me?”

Laelynn flushed red, fighting the urge to shrink away. She fought to keep her voice steady as she replied, “Forgive me for being so bold, but that is my second request. What do you say, Mr. Lachance?” She could see Lucien studying her closely, his face a mix of confusion and something else.

“And why would you want this? I am a stranger, a _killer_. I am here to kill _you_. You would have a man who entered your home with the intention of slashing your throat for profit? For enjoyment.”

Laelynn flinched slightly, hoping Lucien Lachance hadn’t noticed. He had. “You…you enjoy murdering people?”

Lucien smirked, his dark eyes glimmering with bloodlust. “I do.”

Her mouth curved into a sad, knowing smile. “I enjoyed it too.”


	2. And Thus We Sit Together Now

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More of Laelynn's sad and murderous past will be covered in upcoming chapters after the sexy time. There will possibly be a chapter from Lucien's P.O.V also. But in the meantime, please enjoy the beginning of a night of pure smut.   
Comments and feedback will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy!

Before Lucien Lachance could speak, she continued. “Yes, I’ve killed before. Don’t give me that look, _it’s true. _You don’t know what I’m capable of!” She tried to sound threatening, but it sounded more like a poorly worded question. Her assassin simply laughed, shaking his head with disbelief.

All at once, memories came rushing back, hitting her like an icy brick wall, knocking the breath out of her lungs. _Blood…so much blood…on her hands, in her hair, dripping down her face…_Her heart stuttered as she gasped, the fear and pain and the _sick pleasure _wrapping like jagged, serrated fingers around her heart, squeezing, _squeezing…_The murders had been the final nail in the coffin for her. There was no hope for her. After everything she had suffered since childhood, her suffering at the hands of adults who had the very job of protecting her, she was now the monster. How could she ever look down on the murderers in the Dark Brotherhood? She was just as bad. At least for them, it was a living. Some living, but a living, nonetheless. What had it been for her?

_“You will grow up to be a bad’un, girl. You mark my words.” _Her father’s cold voice rang in her ears, sending a thick wave of nausea through her. Her stomach turned and she cringed as a sick, sour taste coated her tongue.

“I’m so tired…” It took her a few seconds to realise she had spoken out loud. She blinked, the room around her coming back into view. Dazed, she felt pressure on her arm and looked down to see the assassin’s hand wrapped around it, his grip tight and supporting, the smooth leather of his glove cool against her skin. _His entire hand fits around my arm, _she thought dimly, _and he is not even a big man. _How long ago had she stopped eating? Three days ago? Four? She couldn’t remember. _Dead people don’t need food anyway. _

No. Not dead, not yet. Well, not exactly true. She had been dead inside for a long, long time. Gathering up her scattered thoughts, she crumpled them into a tight ball and flung them into a dark, distant corner of her mind. She cleared her throat and took a deep, steadying breath. “Sorry about that.”

“What _was _that?”

She decided on a casual shrug. “Nothing really. It just happens sometimes. It’s not important. Anyway, what _is _important is my second request.” She sighed as Lucien released her arm, moving it to rest on the dagger at his hip. “Yes, I was being serious when I said…that. I am of sound mind, sort of, and it’s what I want.” _Well what I actually want is to have a long, happy life surrounded by people who love me, but that’s not going to happen. Clearly. This will have to do, I suppose. _

“Miss Denile, you hired us—hired me—for a reason. I myself am never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but do you really think it wise to—”

Before he could finish, Laelynn mustered up all the bravery she had and kissed him. He stiffened; whether in shock or protest, she couldn’t tell. She just hoped to the Divines that he would accept it, that it would be enough. Her thoughts whirled in her head like leaves caught in a strong wind, sending thoughts and memories flying everywhere chaotically, and when he began to kiss her back, the wind died down, leaving behind an eerie silence, a pleasant emptiness. Laelynn smiled against the assassin’s mouth. She liked empty. Empty meant peace, calm, and most importantly, no pain. His lips were thinner than hers, but soft, and, oh, by the Eight, he could kiss. She was dimly aware of strong arms around her, one snaking tightly around her waist while the other moved upwards to tangle his fist in her hair. She flinched inwardly at first, expecting pain to tear through her scalp as he tugged gently. Her boyfriend—ex boyfriend now? Did dying mean that you broke up? —used to do that when they kissed sometimes. He would hold her hair tightly at the bottom and she would fight to hide her pained wincing, too polite to tell him that it was hurting. This time though, the pain she was expecting didn’t come. Lucien hadn’t done what her boyfriend used to do. Instead, he fisted his hand in her hair close to her head, right at the base of her skull. Even as he tightened his grip, holding her head as they kissed, she found herself enjoying the feeling. Somehow, the discomfort felt…comfortable.

And then he pulled away.

“Oh what—” she whined, reaching out, trying to find purchase on his armour. He held her at arms’ length, his dark eyes burning with desire as they met her blue ones. “Miss Denile…”

“_Laelynn. _If you’re going to kill me, you may as well call me by my first name.” She smiled, hoping to lighten the thick tension in the room.

He didn’t smile back.

She sighed. “Look…I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking ‘this girl is obviously nuts’, right? Well, I’m not—or maybe I am, who knows? The point is: _I don’t care. _I’m asking this of you because…well, I’ve never done…it…before.” She noticed him raising his eyebrows questioningly, and she reddened. “Alright! I’ve never had sex before. Happy now?”

Lucien tilted his head slightly, his gaze intense as he looked her up and down. “I find that hard to believe. How would a pretty little thing like you make it to that age without having someone want to bed you?”

Laelynn grimaced. “I wasn’t a complete loser, you know. I had a boyfriend.”

A curious look. “And you never slept together?”

“No.” She fought back the tide of emotion threatening to spill over her and continued: “We didn’t. We…were going to, but it never happened. I grew up in a, you could say, strict household. A conservative one. From day one I had it hammered into me that sex before marriage was dirty and shameful. Something only bad girls did, and boys that were no good. Well, growing up hearing things like that made me almost…afraid of sex. Up until I was eighteen, I thought I could get pregnant if a boy kissed me.” She rolled her eyes as Lucien snickered. “I know. Anyway, I found out that wasn’t true, and then I met a man. My parents never knew about him. My mother wouldn’t have approved, and my father hated everyone, you see.”

“What happened to him?”

“He died.” Laelynn waited for Lachance to awkwardly pat her shoulder, to utter an awkward ‘sorry’, like most people did when they learned of his untimely demise. He did neither. He simply nodded; his curiosity satisfied.

“So, you are a virgin.”

“Yes. I don’t want to die a virgin.”

“Interesting.” His voice was husky as he spoke, rekindling the burning desire inside her that had died out through her lament.

She moved forward again, wrapping her arms around his neck, her lips brushing his ear. “Please,” she whispered. “I just want to forget about everything. I know I’m just using you but give me this.”


	3. For That Is The True Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was hard to write, but hey, I did it :)  
This is actually one of two Lucien smut scenes I've written. The other one I'm saving for another fic I'm currently writing. There's going to be a few LL fics actually, purely because he's my fave and I love him.  
LUCIEN

Lucien shivered as she whispered the last sentence, lust roaring to life inside him. He saw her grin as his hands came up, moving to forcefully tear at the buttons on her shirt. They popped free, scattering over the floor, and he wrenched the shirt from her body. Lowering his head, he began to kiss her neck, revelling in the way she whimpered from the scratch of his stubble against her delicate skin. Her reaction left Lucien fighting the urge to bite hard, to roughly suck dark bruises into her skin. If there was one thing Lucien Lachance loved more than murder or sex, it was _rough _sex. And it had been so, so long.

“Be gentle?”

_Of course, my dear, _he thought, but didn’t reply. Instead, he seized the chance to peel off his gloves and toss them away as she reached back blindly to undo the fastenings of the cloth covering her breasts. Dropping the cloth on the floor, she gasped as his hands busied themselves, gently squeezing, his rough thumbs rubbing over her nipples.

Then again, did he even have a gentle bone in his body? Most people would say no. If he himself were asked, he would probably also agree that: _no, Lucien Lachance is many things, but ‘gentle’ is not one of them. _Laelynn’s hands on the front of his armour pulled him out of his musings, and he refocused to see her watching him, her face wanting, _needing_, but uncertain. He smiled reassuringly, trying to put as much genuine—or not—warmth into it as he could muster. In any case, it was time he got naked. Stepping back, he slowly unbuckled and peeled off the snug fitting black leather, his ego buzzing as her eyes, glazed with lust and excitement, widened slightly as more and more of his skin was revealed. He knew he looked good in the armour and even better out of it. A shame, really, that he didn’t get to wear the armour much these days. Most of his work as a Speaker left him sitting at his desk in Fort Farragut ploughing through endless stacks of papers and sorting through contracts to pass onto the members of his Sanctuary. Rarely did he get to kill anymore. At least, not for the Brotherhood. Perhaps that was the base for the animalistic lust, the desire, coiling inside his body. His murderous urges had been troubling him for a while with no suitable outlet, even if he was arguably less vicious than he used to be. The Dark Brotherhood armour dropped to the floor and he stepped out of it, carelessly kicking it across the room after kicking off his black boots. He stood still for a moment, smirking, enjoying the way Laelynn practically drooled over him. Lucien knew his body was gorgeous; by Sithis, he’d put enough work into it over the years. Still lethal. Still a weapon. Still desirable. Smirking to himself, he moved closer to her and ghosted his hand down her bare stomach, her muscles jumping under his touch, stopping when he reached the space between her legs. While he had been showing off his excellent form, she had taken the liberty of removing the rest of her clothes.

“Comfortable?” He asked, slowly moving to kneel on the floor in front of her. Laelynn nodded, her teeth biting into her bottom lip as she stared down at him, her eyes slightly wide, her cheeks flushed red. “What are you doing?”

Lucien glanced up at her, his mouth twitching into a wolfish smile. “Going down on you, my dear.”

The effect was incredible. Satisfying, even. Laelynn squeaked, her face turning a deep crimson as she looked away from him, her teeth now digging so hard into her lip that he expected her to draw blood. Or rather, he _hoped _she would draw blood. She was such a lovely little thing, after all, and the thought of her plump pink lip dripping with red made his cock twitch. Before he could open his mouth, Laelynn’s hand came down on his head, preventing him from leaning forward to take his first taste.

“No,” she breathed, stroking the hand over a lock of his hair.

“No?”

“Not yet. Please, I want…”

“Yes?”

“I want to do this to you,” she said quickly, and then paused. “I mean—”

“—you want to suck my cock.”

Lucien smiled as she whimpered shyly, her lithe, flushed body trembling as he stroked his fingers over her slit. Her shame was delicious, and, oh, he wanted more—wanted her humiliation. Degrading a partner during sex did terrible, arousing things to Lucien; however, he knew that it was very unlikely that Laelynn would appreciate that, and so he decided to avoid it. He didn’t want to _force _her—he would want her to consent, to enjoy it. What was the point otherwise? No, she wanted gentleness and care and consideration, and that’s what she would get. As much as he knew how, anyway. Which wasn't very much, admittedly. He never had been well versed in _real _affection. 

“Mm, we could have both,” he purred. “I can pleasure you while you pleasure me.”

Laelynn stared at him, confusion etched onto her face. “At the same time? How would that even…work?”

“I’m glad you asked,” he replied smoothly, graceful as he pulled himself off the floor and onto his feet. Without warning, he swiftly lifted Laelynn into his arms as though she weighed nothing and set her down on the edge of the bed. He stood in front of her, waiting. Moving slowly and cautiously, Laelynn touched him, her hand closing around him and stroking. He hissed when she licked the tip of his cock, her warm, wet tongue flicking over his slit.

“You’re dripping. I can taste you,” she whispered, licking her lips. “I like it.”

Lucien gritted his teeth, biting back a groan. “Mm,” he growled. “I _really _want to fuck.”

Laelynn pushed her head forward, slowly and carefully taking his cock into her mouth, her tongue slipping over the sensitive underside. Lucien threw his head back and moaned, tangling his hands in her long, dark hair. By the Void, it felt good. After going so long without sex, without a lover, every rub against his cock and every touch made his balls twitch and tighten. Though the girl lacked skill, she sucked hard and enthusiastically, even wrapping a hand around the base of his cock to make up for what she couldn’t fit in her mouth. Lucien shuddered, pleasure clawing its way up his spine. His brain screamed with the urge to grab hold of her head and force his cock as far down her little throat as he could. He ignored it, focusing on the incredible sensation of her warm, soft mouth closing tight around him, and the wet, sucking noises as she tried to take him deeper. She gagged loudly, his cock hitting the back of the throat hard, and he _snarled. _“Fuck.”

The muscles in his cock twitched as she gagged again, her hand, wet and sticky with saliva, frantically stroking him while he hissed with pleasure. He gripped her hair tighter as the pull of her mouth became tighter, her grip on his cock became tighter, and images of her pale face streaked with tears, thick ropes of his cum hanging from her mouth, flashed in his mind. She was coughing, gasping for air, _choking_—

No. Shit. He had to stop. _She _had to stop. He tried to pull away as he felt that familiar tingling feeling in his balls, but Laelynn refused to let go, glaring up at him defiantly.

“Laelynn, you need to stop. If you don't, I’m going to come in your mouth,” he panted, careful not to move, fighting the urge to buck his hips, to thrust into her mouth until the tingling became overwhelming and he—

_Focus, Lachance. _

Laelynn pulled away and he grimaced as his cock slipped out of her mouth with a small _pop. _“Now what?”

He grasped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet before capturing her mouth in a blistering kiss. Releasing her mouth, he pulled away and made his way to the bed. In one swift, agile movement, he sprang onto the bed and rolled, sprawling out on his back. Raising his head to look at her, he grinned and gestured for her to come over.

“Where am I supposed to get?” She asked cautiously, climbing onto the bed beside him and eyeing up his body like it was a priceless offering to the gods. The hunger for him in her soft blue eyes made him wild.

He reached for her and pulled her close with one hand, his other hand resting on her thigh, encouraging her to kneel over him.

“You want me to get—”

“—on my face, yes.”

She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling as she smiled sweetly. “Why?”

“Because I enjoy it,” he said, his voice rumbling in his throat, deep and husky. “As will you.”

“I will?” She sounded unsure, uncertain. Nervous. Scared?

“Yes.” He smiled encouragingly and lay back against the sheets.

Laelynn slowly climbed over him, her knees on either side of his face. “Are you sure this—_Oh!_” Her words dissolved into moans when his tongue slipped between her folds.

Before long, Lucien had her writhing on his face. Every pulse of her wet, swollen folds against his tongue sent a deep, needy ache through his cock. Every muffled cry she emitted made more and more precum drip from the thick, swollen head of his cock. He could feel her slick coating his face, dripping down his jaw, down his chin and neck. Her wild movements against his face made it hard for him to breathe, but he didn’t care. He loved it. Craved it, even. For him, danger and pain had always added to the thrill. The more dangerous and painful something he did was, the more it excited him, and the more pleasure it gave him. Laelynn bucked against his mouth, her thighs tight and trembling as her body stiffened, and she screamed. Lucien moaned against her, his lips wrapped tight around her clit, sucking it through her orgasm as she thrashed and quivered. He couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe—

Slowly, slowly, her shaking subsided, and he grinned smugly against her. The urge, the desperate _need_, to come was slowly shredding his sanity to bits. He needed to come, he needed to fuck her—_now. _Carefully pushing her off his face, he sat up, wiping her arousal off his face with his hand. Laelynn was slumped against the sheets, her breathing ragged, her skin flushed a deep red.

“Sorry about that…” She lazily gestured to his throbbing, straining cock. “I couldn’t...too distracted…”

Lucien hummed, moving to kneel between her legs. “No matter.” He teasingly rubbed the slick head of his cock against her folds. “Ready?”

She nodded and smiled at him encouragingly, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“Good girl,” he purred, his cock throbbing painfully as her eyes rolled back. With that, the last of Lucien’s control snapped, and he slammed his hips into hers, sinking deep into Laelynn’s body. Her hot, slick walls squeezed him tightly, making him clench his jaw as he fought to keep himself from spilling. She cried out in pain, her nails raking down his back. He shuddered, grunting from the sharp sting of her nails raking his skin, and waited.

“Okay,” she panted at long last, looking up at him. “I’m ready again.”

Lucien eased himself out of her and then thrust back in. Her cries were maddening; they tore at his restraint and sent spasms of pleasure through his groin. Suddenly, a new pain was added to the mix. Laelynn’s hand was in his hair. Not stroking but _pulling_. He moved in and out of her, growling with ecstasy, his thrusts coming harder and faster. He lost count of how many times her body went rigid under his; lost count of how many times she screamed out, orgasm after orgasm wracking her body. Unbearable tension coiled in Lucien’s body and he slammed into her desperately, forcing himself as deep as he could go. The tension broke, and he exploded, his body seizing up as he snarled with pleasure, his cock pulsing hard inside her. Panting, he rolled to the side and onto his back next to her. She turned to face him, snuggling into him, and he froze. He didn’t plan on cuddling. The rush of orgasm had faded into a soft, warm glow, making him suddenly feel sleepy. For a second, he almost forgot he had a job to do. Almost.

“Thank you…for that.”

Laelynn’s voice cut through the haze. He turned his head to see her staring at him timidly, her teeth pressing into her bottom lip again.

“Can I…add one more request?”

Fuck. “What is it?”

“Just…hold me.”


	4. Learning Your Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the slow update, I'm up to my eyes in coursework, but here it is. It's a short a chapter, but the others will be much longer.  
Now I just want to get it out there that this chapter is - and indeed the next few chapters will be - pretty dark and pretty grim. They're not nice chapters, but they tell the story and they tell more about what brought poor Laelynn to this point in time.  
Enjoy. 
> 
> LAELYNN

“Laelynn!”

She turned over, gripping the covers tightly.

“LAELYNN! Where is that useless girl?”

_Please no. _She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, praying to the Divines—to any Divine that would listen—for him to turn around and leave. The bruising on her arms and legs still throbbed and ached from the last time, serving as a reminder of his anger. A reminder of the failures of her mother.

Her bedroom door flew open, hitting the stone wall with a deafening crash. He stood in the doorway, his chest rising and falling rapidly, as though he had run the way home.

“Up you get, girl,” he snarled, his thick hand, rough from labouring out on the farm, wrapping around her thin wrist, yanking her roughly out of bed.

“Papa, stop!” She cried, pain radiating through her knees and shins as her bare legs hit the cold stone floor. A cruel hand in her hair. The smell of whiskey fanning across her face as her head was pulled back.

“Where were you today? What were you doing?” Her father demanded angrily, his eyes—eyes that once upon a time were full of warmth and laughter; eyes that used to look at her as if she were the most precious thing on Nirn—were hard and glazed and empty. “Speak, girl, before I take my belt to you!”

Although her neck was beginning to ache as her head was bent at a painful angle, Laelynn knew better than to struggle. “Daddy, please, let me go! I just…went into town—like Mamma said.”

“Lies,” he hissed, tightening his grip on her hair. Pain shot through her scalp as he swayed drunkenly, almost toppling over. He righted himself, scowling. “You went into town, oh yes. That I know. What did you do whilst in town, Lynnie?”

She flinched as though he had slapped her. He always used to call her Lynnie. _My little Lynnie, _he would say, scooping her up into a tight, comforting hug when she would fall and skin her knees. When he would find her sitting in the middle of the floor, giggling with delight as she covered the family cat in glow dust. _Oh, Lynnie, _he would sigh, _what have you done to poor Cobbweb? _Somehow, the childhood nickname hurt her more than the fist in her hair or the awkward tilt of her head. The word was sharp, cutting, and it stabbed into her just like a blade, its edges rusty and serrated as it sliced into her flesh.

“I…I went around the market to buy vegetables.” Although she managed to fight back the tears and sobs threatening to spill, she couldn’t keep the pained whimper out of her voice. Her mind flickered from memory to memory, poring over everything she had done that day, searching desperately for the crime she had committed. She had gone to the market and browsed the fine jewellery stand, stopping to chat to the woman with the kind face who ran it. After that, she had moved on to the fresh vegetable stall, picking out vegetables from the list Mamma had given to her. Then it was on to the fresh meat stand to pick up a whole rabbit. Collecting ingredients for the stew? Surely that was something too innocent for even her father to twist. Then, the realisation hit her like a rampaging Daedroth. Before she left town with her sack of ingredients, she had stopped to talk to the nice Nord boy that lived just outside of the town. They had met months ago when she had inadvertently barged into him, knocking him into the fruit stand, sending the produce flying everywhere. Jorunn was his name, and it sent butterflies flittering in her stomach. But _how _did he know?

“Answer me, Lynnie!” Her father hissed, forcing Laelynn to her feet. “Come on! What else?”

“I stopped…stopped to speak to a boy in the market.” She flinched as his face turned from ashy grey to red with rage. “He was just passing so—”

“I knew it! Seeing a boy in town!” He roared with fury, shoving her away. “My own daughter! Only just sixteen and already meeting boys!”

“It wasn’t like that! We just talk—”

He cut her off with a hard slap to the face. “Harlot,” he spat.

Her jaw burned with agony as she stumbled back, her ankle colliding painfully with the wooden dresser behind her. Her eyes blurred with tears as she looked up, staring past her father and into the hallway. Her mother stood in the doorway, her face pale and her eyes wide with horror.

_Please, Mamma. Do something. Please, don’t leave me alone with him. Don’t let him—_

Her mother turned away, shaking her head. Her younger sister gave her a small, sad smile before she followed. Laelynn’s heart sank into her stomach and she swallowed the sour bile rising in her throat. She watched, frozen with fear as her father turned to face her, the worn leather belt clutched in his hand.

“Now, Lynnie, you need to learn your place—in this world and in this _family_.”


	5. *Update*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for being gone so long and not updating. Life has been crazy, but I'm back now with some new chapters. My inspiration for this fic is coming super slowly lately, so I will be posting and updating some of my other various fics in the meantime while I get new ideas. Thanks for reading so far! :)

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